Today in Fire History 10/28

On 10/28/1915 the Saint John’s Parochial School in Peabody, Massachusetts fire killed twenty-two of the approximately 700 students who were at morning prayers in the school when a fire started in the basement. In less than five minutes swept through the three-story brick and wood building. Twenty-two children, none out of their teens, were burned or crushed to death while attempting to escape; scores of other students were injured, several seriously. “The blaze started in a trash barrel kept in a closet under the basement stairs. There were no fire doors, and no fire escapes, as the flames climbed the stairs and blocked children who were attempting to flee through the front door. Many were forced to jump from second-story windows. In all 22 children, ages 6 to 17 died. As a result of the tragedy, Peabody became the first city to pass a law requiring doors in all public buildings and schools to open outwards.” “Over 700 of the school's 782 students were in the building when the fire began in the basement of the school building. The school day began at 8:30 a.m. and at 8:45 a.m., the mother superior entered the building and immediately smelled smoke. She sounded the fire alarm and began supervising the evacuation of the school. This procedure should have led to the children and teachers leaving the building through the stairways out of both the front and rear exits. The students on the first floor exited the building through the front door without issue. However, as the smoke thickened students from the upper floors panicked. Ignoring the rear exit, they rushed for the front door and became jammed in the vestibule. By the time firefighters arrived the door was impassable. It would take until 10:00 a.m. for it to be clear enough for firefighters to be able to pass through. Some students chose to make the 10-foot jump out of the second-story window, a number of them pushing passed-out classmates out of the windows before jumping themselves. Neighbors aided the children by using coats and blankets as life nets to catch the falling students. Others forced the children out the doors, picking up children who had fallen or fainted and pushing them outside and many went back to the upper floors to make sure that students were evacuating. Some students worked together to help others evacuate or ran back inside the school in attempts to find siblings or friends. Not all were able to escape, however; the bodies of the 19 victims were found after the fire subsided, huddled together, and burned beyond recognition, on the inside of the school entrance and two later died at the hospital. Of those killed, the eldest was seventeen years old and the youngest was six. Two of the nuns were injured, one suffering serious burns; however, none of the adults were killed. All of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition and were identified based on their personal effects.”

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On 10/28/1892 two firefighters and five other people died, more than 1,800 people were made homeless and about 185 freight cars were lost in Milwaukee's (Wisconsin) "Irish Third Ward" fire as winds reached a gale force of 50 miles per hour. “A fire started around 5:30 p.m. at the Union Oil and Paint Company Building located at 273 East Water Street (now 232 North Water Street). The fire spread rapidly, extending to the block, including the Dohmen's Wholesale Drug Company buildings. By 6:00 p.m. the wind was fierce, the fire had spread, and a general alarm was sounded. All other local fire companies responded, and a full attack was made on the Union Oil and Paint fire. Next door was a large, brick seven-story building, the Bub and Kipp Furniture Factory. Every floor was loaded with furniture. Suddenly the furniture factory burst into a mass of flames. The intensity of heat from the burning buildings forced firefighters to withdraw or be overcome. To appraise the worsening situation, the Fire Chief ran to the corner of Buffalo Street. What he saw was frightening, nearly a city block was on fire. Upon their retreat to avoid being engulfed by the sudden burst of flames from the furniture factory, firefighters were forced to abandon five major pieces of equipment. Engines and wagons unavoidably left behind were engulfed in a roaring inferno. This loss was one-third of the total fire-fighting equipment on the scene, but retreating firefighters had escaped death by a very slim margin. At about 7:30 p.m., the east and south walls of the burning Bub and Kipp Building collapsed. Flames leaped out from behind its collapsed walls, across the alley and ignited the J.E. Patton Company a four-story paint factory of 266-72 East Water Street. North of the paint factory, rapidly expanding fires engulfed the Milwaukee Art Glass and then the Kissinger Wholesale Liquor buildings. To the south of the paint building, on East Water Street, stood the dry goods store of Goll and Frank. It became surrounded by burning buildings on three sides. But the store was saved by the courage and effort of firefighters and the volunteer crew of local Irish youth… Their success was made possible by much help from the fireboat Cataract. Unrelenting winds pressed tongues of fire onward. By 7:30 p.m., the raging fires were beyond the capabilities of local firefighters. The Chief sent telegrams asking for help from the Fire Marshal of Chicago and to Fire Chiefs at Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Oshkosh, and Janesville. In the meantime, on-scene firefighters regrouped. They cast ropes with grappling hooks onto engines and steamers in the inferno… Strong winds pressed tongues of fire in every direction, but mainly across Broadway and Buffalo streets. At about 8:00 p.m., Jacob Wellner's Grocery Warehouse on Broadway was ablaze and soon thereafter Roundy and Peckham's four-storied Wholesale Grocery Warehouse and the National Liquor Warehouse (a three-storied building) were afire. Adjacent to Jacob Wellner's Warehouse were two buildings-four and five stories high J.S. Spenser's Milwaukee Chair Company. They, too, became engulfed by a raging torrent of flames. The winds were unrelenting. Recognizing the immediate danger to buildings along Broadway Street, the Chief made a front along Chicago and Detroit streets. At that moment, ammonia tanks in the Weisel and Vilter building at Broadway and Detroit exploded. Its walls collapsed, and debris was hurled in all directions. The Chief and two other firefighters were trapped beneath the fallen debris. All were dragged from beneath the fallen rubble, but the two firefighters were killed and only the Chief survived. Although badly injured, he declined medical attention and continued at his post until the fire was under control. At the intersection of East Water and Chicago Streets firefighters fought valiantly to prevent the ravaging fires from engulfing the buildings located along the east bank of the Milwaukee River. Streams of water were poured into the endangered four-story Ferneckes Brothers Candy Company but to no avail. Within one hour the building was swallowed up by an overwhelming mass of fire. Due to the pressure of intense heat within the building, three of its brick walls burst outward without warning onto East Water Street. At 10:00 p.m., the harsh winds showed no sign of clemency. With total disregard for life or property, ruthless winds extended gluttonous fires even further. Flames rapidly engulfed the building owned by the Leidersdorff Tobacco Company, located at East Water and Buffalo streets. In just a few minutes the building was completely consumed by roaring fires and its walls collapsed. Fallen burning timbers and large broken sections of its stone and brick walls completely closed the intersection. All opportunities for a last-ditch effort to use East Water Street for the transfer of fire engines and other fire wagons were now gone. Near gale winds pressed hungering flames southward from Leidersdorff's building to Inbusch Brothers Grocery Warehouse and the adjacent street. Engine House 10 and buildings to the south were set afire and soon the Reideburg Bodden Vinegar Works was swallowed by ravaging fires. The high winds continued unabated. As fearful Irish immigrants watched building after building succumb to the growing number of fires, their dwindling hope became despair when angry flames approached their frail frame homes. Suddenly the Milwaukee Gas Works and the Hansen Malt & Hop buildings burst into flames. Colored plumes of fire and hot red embers thrust skyward. The stench of burning chemicals, malt, animal hides, charred wood, pungent odors from the Vinegar Company fire, and increased multicolored flames cast before their eyes a vivid image of hellfire. Fearing for their lives, residents fled from their homes on Jefferson, Jackson, and Van Buren streets. Some carried away all belongings they could heap into a wheelbarrow, on their backs, and what their aching arms could carry. Through tearful eyes, children saw skeletons of their homes in flames and others newly-clothed with flowing flames of fire. What was abandoned was rapidly consumed by the gluttonous appetite of the fire. By now it was certain that the Chicago and North Western freight yards were in great danger. More than two hundred boxcars stood on the sidings. Two C&NW freight houses stood on Jackson Street. Freight House Number 1 was 360 feet long and sixty feet wide, and Freight House Number 2 was 475 feet long. These two buildings, end to end, extended from Buffalo and beyond Menomonee streets. The high winds continued without mercy. This was the height of the crisis and only three fire engines were all that could be sent to save both freight houses and their contents from the same fate visited upon the other buildings. Despite great efforts, both freight houses had to be abandoned to the rapidly expanding fires which were bent for the destruction of all Third Ward properties. The National Guard was called out to help the fleeing victims of the fire, to guard against pillagers, and to restrain the increasing numbers of curious onlookers. Families were separated in flight and cries of fear and loss were heard above the din. Tearful mothers clutched their children as they made their way to safer ground. The mood of the crowd varied. Many of the onlookers expressed great compassion; others cast aside all thoughts of danger to themselves and offered much-needed help to weeping refugees. Some calloused bystanders were amused by the spectacle of fire and made bets among themselves on the progress of many fires that raced before the wind. Reinforcements Arrive At about 10:30 p.m., Kenosha arrived with an engine, two fire officers, and 18 crew members. They were greeted with applause and shouts from a large body of curious onlookers. Soon thereafter the First Assistant Fire Marshal, 39 officers, and a full crew arrived from Chicago. The Chief and his crew arrived from Racine. The Chief crew and engines from Oshkosh arrived aboard flat cars on C&NW tracks. They were somewhat late in arriving because the tracks before them were filled with a large number of freight cars hauled to safety from the burning freight yards. There were 300 firefighters on the scene, but by 11:00 p.m. flames spread from the burning Fernekes building to the Hilpert Company building, manufacturing chemists. Soon drums of oil and other chemicals were ignited. Numerous explosions sent forth sharp cracking and booming sounds. Hot, multicolored flames shot skyward. By midnight the fire was under control but still blazing. More than 440 buildings throughout 20 city blocks were destroyed. Calculated in terms of an 1892 appraisal, the loss was more than $4.5 million. Two firefighters and five other people died, more than 1,800 people were made homeless and about 185 freight cars were lost. This was Milwaukee's greatest fire.”

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On 10/28/1912 a Lynchburg, Virginia firefighter “died as a result of injuries caused by a falling wall during a fire at 11th and Jefferson Streets on October 15, 1912.”

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On 10/28/1938 in Newark, New Jersey while working a basement fire around 11:20 p.m. on October 27 two firefighters became disoriented and collapsed due to asphyxiation from smoke and gas fumes. On 10/28/1938, they died from their injuries.

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On 10/28/1938 a Troy, New York firefighter “suffered a fatal heart attack as the result of overexertion, while operating at a two-alarm fire in City Hall.”

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On 10/28/1953 a Brooklyn, New York (FDNY) firefighter “died as a result of injuries sustained October 4th while operating at a four-alarm fire at 23 Newkirk Plaza.”

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On 10/28/1954 around 6:07 a.m. Engine 2, Ladder 3, and Battalion 6 were dispatched to 1827-29 N 5th Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to investigate fumes coming from the Charles W. Berg Laboratories building; the crew discovered smoke coming from a large tank in the rear yard. At 6:10 a.m. Box 2825, Germantown, and Montgomery Avenues was struck. The tank suddenly exploded, sending pieces of metal at the firefighters and releasing its contents, a bluish fluid. At 6:18 the Second Alarm on Box 2825 was transmitted. The 13’ high by 6’ diameter, four-thousand-gallon aluminum storage tank contained a textile cleaning solvent that reacted with remnants of previously-stored coconut oil. The resulting reaction created phosgene gas; the relief valve on the tank was clogged and the pressure built up in the tank, causing it to explode and release poisonous gas. Eleven firefighters died, and twenty-five firefighters and police officers were injured, some critically.

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On 10/28/1962 a Milwaukee, WI firefighter “was killed by falling wall at the five-alarm Plankinton Packing Co. fire.”

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On 10/28/2013 two children and a 29-year-old man were killed, and four others were injured in a two-story wood and masonry house fire in Elkins, West Virginia.

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On 10/28/1906 fifty-three died in a train wreck on the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad, a passenger train, traveling to Atlantic City, New Jersey at forty miles per hour, derailed on a swing draw bridge over a deep tidal channel.

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On 10/28/1965 the Gateway Arch was completed on the waterfront of St. Louis, Missouri.

On 10/28/1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis ended.

On 10/28/1919 the Volstead Act passed over a Presidential veto prohibiting intoxicating beverages.

On 10/28/1886 the Statue of Liberty was dedicated.

On 10/28/1776 the American Revolutionary War Battle of White Plains New York was fought.

On 10/28/1636 Harvard College was founded.